The proliferation of made-to-measure suiting programs in recent years has given men access to custom tailoring once reserved for a select few. Men who opt for made-to-measure navigate the range of customizable options available, but often get waylaid at the most crucial step: selecting a fabric. But that’s no surprise. There is a world of fabric options available, and for the uninitiated, they can all seem very similar. While a proficient tailor will guide a customer through available options, it’s worth educating yourself if you’re in the market for a custom suit.
Tailors will have books of fabric swatches from different mills. Though the wools for suiting fabrics are sourced around the world, the majority of respected mills are located in the UK and in Italy. Though cheaper suits utilize synthetic materials like polyester, most high-end tailors only make suits from natural fiber fabrics. There are a few questions you should ask yourself before deciding on a fabric: When will you be wearing the suit? What’s the occasion? How much will you be wearing the suit? Have you considered a texture or pattern? What about a weight of fabric?
One aspect to consider is the time of year you’ll wear the suit. “There’s something nice about having a seasonal wardrobe,” said Jake Mueser, owner of high-end suiting shop J.Mueser Bespoke in Greenwich Village. “And you don’t need to have 100 suits to have a seasonal wardrobe, but you need to have more than a few.” Mueser advocates for linen-blends in the summer and heavier tweeds in winter. It allows for a wardrobe to take on more dimension and utilize fabrics designed for different conditions. As a customer, you can also talk to your tailor about different weight fabrics — lightweight (under 9-ounces for summer), mid-weight (around 12 ounces) for transitional wear, and heavy-weight (over 14-ounces) for winter. “We enjoy different foods and different drinks,” said Mueser. “I think that’s something to think about with our wardrobes. You don’t have to be so four-season — enjoy the different times of the year.”
Most of the fabrics a customer will encounter when ordering a custom suit are made from wool, but other options include cotton, linen and luxury fibers like cashmere, vicuña, silk and mohair. Once you have an idea of what you’re interested in, it’s best to trust your gut instinct because there are no hard-and-fast rules. Most importantly, pick a fabric that you’ll feel comfortable in and enjoy wearing. “Oftentimes there’s no right or wrong,” said Mueser. “There’re just different options.”
Wool
Wool yarn comes primarily from the fleece of sheep. Suiting fabrics made from wool are broken into two categories: worsted and woolen. Worsted fabrics are combed to remove any short fibers before spinning, leaving longer strands which generally produce a smoother, stronger yarn. Woolen fabrics, on the other hand, aren’t combed before spinning. “Most of the stuff you look at in any tailor shop will be worsted wool,” said Mueser.
How the yarns are woven produces different fabric textures and patterns. Some common types a customer will encounter are checks, pinstripes, plaids, houndstooths and herringbones, among others. Some weaves are associated with certain garments, as is the case with hopsacks for blazers. Other types of common fabrics are flannel, a woolen fabric with a softer face, and tweed, a traditional Scottish and Irish woolen fabric.
When exploring different fabrics, a customer will often see Super numbers attached to denote micron counts (e.g. Super 100s, Super 140s, Super 180s). The higher the micron count, the finer the diameter of fiber staple — this leads to a softer fabric with more drape. While fabrics with higher Super numbers are often very luxurious, they may not necessarily be better (and often, they’ll wear out much faster).
“It’s a little like discussing the carat of a diamond,” said Mueser. “Listen, a 4 carat stone is a 4 carat stone — that’s a beautiful thing. One-eighties are a beautiful thing. Sometimes there’s a magic to getting a 2.5 carat stone that’s really perfect. And, you have fabrics that are using the longest fibers, the highest qualities, the best dyeing techniques, the best mills, the best finishing — and you see a 120s fabric that could be more expensive than another mill’s 180s. One’s not better or worse — they’re different.”
Country of Manufacture: China and Italy
Material: 100% Merino Wool, 100% cotton lining
Jacket Construction: Fully lined
Care: Dry clean
Great style means you shouldn’t have to sacrifice comfort and L’Estrange London’s Tropic Wool Blazer paired with its matching trousers proves this. With a textured, open weave, the wool is naturally temperature-regularing while providing a comfortable fit. The overall suit has a relaxed feel that toes the line between totally irreverent and somehow still put together. Paired with sneakers and a T-shirt, you’re ready for a night out. Paired with a snappy dress shirt and you’re looking sharp for your morning meeting.
Country of Manufacture: India and Vietnam
Material: 98% Wool, 2% Elastane
Jacket Construction: Minimally lined
Care: Dry Clean
Bonobos describes this blazer and trousers as “Minimal bulk, maximum attention to detail” and who am I to disagree? With its tailored fit in a variety of sizes, it’s the perfect option for those looking for a suit that can hold up to any dress code and multiple wears. With a few neutral color options to choose from, it’s a suit that’s never ostentatious – and never going to go out of style.
Country of Manufacture: Italy
Material: Wool shell, cupro jacket lining, viscose trouser lining.
Jacket Construction: Half-canvas jacket, lined to knee on trousers
Care: Dry clean
If you’re looking for an option to elevate your suit game, you really can’t go wrong with Ralph Lauren’s Purple Label. And while I don’t want to sound too gimmicky, you can’t go wrong to spluge on Serge. With its subtle texture and hand tailored elements, it’s a suit that feels as luxurious as it looks.
Country of Manufacture: Italian produced and finished in the U.S.
Material: 100% Wool
Jacket Construction: Fully lined
Care: Dry clean
If you want a suit that’s in it for the long haul, Brooks Brothers’ Milano Fit Stretch Wool 1818 Suit should definitely be on your radar. With its trim fit, it can add a bit of height to shorter guys, while also giving definition to you super skinny fellas out there. With a classic construction that can’t be beaten, this suit is one that will easily be in your weekly – if not daily – rotation.
Luxury Fibers
Along with wool, many tailors will also offer a much smaller range of luxury fibers that are finer and softer than fabric made with sheep’s wool. The most common is cashmere, a yarn spun from the hair of the cashmere goat. Alpaca, silk and mohair (yarn from the hair of the angora goat) are also commonplace at many tailor shops. The most luxurious fiber comes from vicuña, a relative of the alpaca that lives in the Andes. The extremely soft and warm fibers can only be shorn from the animal every few years, so the resulting yarn is incredibly expensive.
Some mills will add these fibers to majority-wool blends to add elements of luxury to more functional and affordable fabrics. But, in most cases, suits made solely of a luxury fabric are a splurge item. “I tend to go for that on sportcoat or a sweater because I feel it on the skin,” said Mueser. “If I’m making myself a fine cashmere blazer, I want something that’s tactile where it matters — it’s wrapping around you. For a business suit or a pair of pants, I don’t really feel the same need.”
Country of Manufacture: Italy
Material: 85% Virgin Wool, 15% Silk
Jacket Construction: Curpo half-lining
Care: Dry clean
Brunello Cuccinelli has the Midas touch when it comes to luxury fabrics and their Virgin Wool and Silk Suit only highlights the Italian designer’s ability to make even the most basic suit design feel vibrant. Injecting a bit of la dolce vita, Cuccinelli’s Wool and Silk Suit is tapered slightly in the torso to be flattering on various men’s body types while never veering into the slim cut category. It’s as classic as they come.
Country of Manufacture: Italy and England
Material: Wool and cashmere blend
Jacket Construction: Half lined by default, fully lined options available
Care: Dry clean
It’s going to be hard to find a suit that’s as versatile, affordable, and well-constructed as Oliver Wicks. Using classic tailoring design that English brands are known for, Wick’s Wool and Cashmere Suit offers a plethora of à la carte options to really make this ready-to-wear suit feel like a bespoke experience – even online.
Country of Manufacture: Portugal
Material: 100% Cashmere
Jacket Construction: Partial lining
Care: Dry Clean
If you’re looking for a suit that doesn’t feel like a suit, then Todd Snyder’s cashmere Sutton suit should be on your radar. Mixing a casual, unstructured fit with an inherent refinement found in cashmere, it’s a suit that can be worn in a variety of circumstances without ever making you feel stuffy. The small details of this suit, including the partial lining and pick-stitch at the lapel, are small details which make you feel this suit is worth the pricetag.
Cotton and Linen
Plant fibers represent another category of fabrics a customer can choose from. Cotton is an accepted option for many casual suits, and is, in most cases, less expensive than wool or linen. It is flexible and breathable, but shows creases more than wool fabrics. Another classic plant fiber is linen, which is made from the fibers of the flax plant. While it is very breathable, it does develop a characteristic wrinkle. “I like that it’s going to look a little disheveled, that there’s going to be imperfections in it,” said Mueser. “But it’s important that when you’re designing a suit for yourself that you’re aware of those things and you embrace that. I love the way a beat up old linen suit looks, but it’s not for everybody and it’s not for every occasion.”
Country of Manufacture: Reiss is manufactured across China, Turkey, India, Vietnam, Philippines, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Ukraine, Scotland, Portugal, Albania, Italy, and Spain
Material: MAIN 50% linen, 49% cotton, 1% elastane. LINING 55% polyester, 45% viscose
Jacket Construction: Fully lined
Care: Dry clean, can be washed at home but not recommended
The double-breasted jacket never gets the credit it deserves. While not the most versatile piece in one’s wardrobe, it definitely has a feel of being a statement garment that is both stylish and a bit subversive. The key to styling a suit like this is to keep it simple. Don’t go with a patterned shirt, a crazy tie, or a loud sweater. Instead, go classic – a white button-down, a turtleneck, or even a t-shirt are all acceptable.
Country of Manufacture: China
Material: 57% Cotton, 43% linen. Lining is 100% cotton
Jacket Construction: Fully Lined Jacket
Care: Hand wash if possible, or machine wash cold and tumble or hang dry
If you’ve spent any time on Instagram or in Soho, you’ll already know the impact that Alex Mill’s Mercer suit has had on menswear. It’s versatile as can be and the blazer and pant can each stand on its own, giving you twice the output in one suit. The construction allows for versatility because of its casual put-togetherness, meaning you can wear literally anything in your existing wardrobe with this and still look – dare we say it? – cool.
Country of Manufacture: J Crew has factories across United States, China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and the Phillippines
Material:71% cotton and 29% linen
Jacket Construction: Half canvas
Care: Dry clean
If you’re looking for a no-brainer, grab-it-while-you-can sort of suit, then the Ludlow is your top choice here. It’s an affordable basic that will never go out of style while also giving you a great silhouette when wearing it. Keep it simple here and go with a nice Cream jacket and pant and open up the possibilities of going lighter while still keeping it stylish. It’s a workhouse kind of suit that you’ll be digging out for weddings, business trips, and the obligatory birthday dinners for your friends twice a year.
